The plot of Dear Evan Hansen is one that hinges on secrets and deception. While Evan's lie that snowballs out of control is the most obvious example of a character trying to outsmart the people around him, many of the characters have secrets of their own that they try to keep.
Additionally, some of the characters are smart enough to realize that something does not add up and actively try to poke holes in Evan's lies. But even the smartest characters in the film make mistakes and some of the intellectually smartest characters prove themselves to be lacking emotional intelligence.
Larry Mora
By all accounts, Larry appears to be a smart and successful businessman. While he initially comes off as distant and out of touch, maintaining a stoic presence and choosing to watch a football game instead of going to check on Zoe, this is later revealed as an attempt to be strong and he slowly drops the front in order to show his real emotions.
While Larry probably should have figured this out sooner, he was smart enough to eventually make the course correction. Larry may not be the best movie dad ever, but he is a fairly smart guy who does his best to provide for his family.
Cynthia Murphy
It is difficult to fully determine Cynthia's intelligence in the film due to the pain and loss she is experiencing. Under other circumstances, she may have come off as smarter and more apt to sniff out Evan's lies. However, her grief made her susceptible to be duped by Evan.
If the film had kept the song "Anybody Have A Map?" from the play, the cut song would have made Dear Evan Hansen different by allowing the audience to see more of what Cynthia was like before Connor's passing. Without this, she comes across as someone who is easy to deceive.
Heidi Hansen
As an overworked single mom, Heidi is constantly on the go and this frantic lifestyle prevents her from being able to stop and think about what is really going on. Evan constantly lies to her and she typically figures out the truth eventually.
If Heidi was able to slow down and spend more time genuinely listening to her son, she would likely have been able to uncover the truth much sooner. Heidi is smart and intuitive, she just does not always have the time to demonstrate those traits.
Connor Murphy
While Connor is only onscreen for a limited amount of time, the film continues to reveal new information about him that reveals his personality to the audience. On just the first impression, he may be dismissed as an angry loner, but the movie shows that he is much smarter than that.
Evan finds a list of Connor's favorite books, revealing some thoughtful books that push back against the negative stereotypes about him. Additionally, Evan discovers a video of him playing music in therapy, demonstrating another aspect of his intelligence. Connor may not appear academically smart at first, but the story slowly reveals that there is a greater depth and intelligence to his character.
Jared Kalwani
Though he may be immature or sarcastic at times, Jared is one of the smarter characters in the film. As Evan's accomplice, he is intelligent enough to help pull off the ruse. He is the brains behind the technical aspect of the lie as he fabricates the emails between Connor and Evan and eventually becomes the director of global communication for the Connor Project.
Jared is clearly intelligent and possesses some valuable knowledge that enables Evan to continue the lie. He is also smart enough to know that the situation is not going to end well and repeatedly voices his concerns.
Evan Hansen
Though Evan does not set out with the intention of lying about his friendship with Connor, he ends up having come up with more and more lies to cover up the original lie. While he may be shortsighted, Evan proves that he is incredibly smart as he is always able to think on his feet and make up a new story.
Evan is smart enough to pull off this elaborate deception and fabricate an entire imaginary friendship with Connor. He is a quick thinker who staves off being caught by making up new details that fill in holes in his story and address inconsistencies.
Zoe Murphy
While many of the best coming-of-age movies have a love interest like Zoe, few are as smart as she is. From the beginning, Zoe does not believe Evan's story and she remains guarded around him. It is only after he manipulates her emotions that she allows herself to believe him.
Zoe is a good student and a talented musician who is smart enough to see through Evan's story but wants to believe what he is saying about her brother is true. She is also emotionally intelligent and mature, forgiving Evan in the end.
Alana Beck
In addition to being one of the best characters in the Dear Evan Hansen movie, Alana is also easily the smartest. Aside from being involved in many other clubs, she is also able to launch the Connor Project, raising a significant amount of money and awareness for their cause. Her only major miscalculation is uploading the letter.
It is remarkable that Alana is able to organize and run a movement of this scale at such a young age, clearly demonstrating her intelligence. She is a smart, driven, and caring character who uses her intellect and personal experience to launch an initiative that ends up impacting people all around the country.